ReCLEAN - Reactive nitrogen at the CLimate, Energy, Agriculture, water, and health Nexus

ETH Domain Joint Initiative: Reactive nitrogen at the CLimate, Energy, Agriculture, water, and health Nexus (ReCLEAN). Nitrogen (N) is a critical element for life. Reactive N species however impact climate, air quality, ecosystems, and human health. The significant imbalance (~100,000 t excess) of N leads to loss in  biodiversity, soil and ground water quality and increased vulnerability to extreme events. Atmospheric N affects air quality and climate. There is a need to holistically understand and quantify N fluxes across and within compartments, especially with the upcoming energy transition and environmental changes from other drivers (climate change). This information needs to be available to stakeholders and policymakers in Switzerland. The ReCLEAN consortium consists of EPFL (Lead), WSL, PSI, EAWAG and ETH.

PSI contributes to ReCLEAN by improving the process level understanding of gas - particle partitioning of NH3 and HNO3 (in collaboration with ETH), by understanding the molecular level properties of nitrate in aqueous solution, by quantifying photochemical recycling of nitrogen oxides from particle phase nitrate, by investigating the formation and decay of organic nitrates in field and chamber experiments, and by providing a record of ammonium and nitrate deposition from preindustrial times to the present based on ice cores.

 This project is co-funded by the participating institutions and the ETH Domain Joint Initiatives.